


Spiral's End

by Qgle



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Time and space can't stop Edeleth's love, m!Byleth is here too, spoilers for all routes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-01-24 06:21:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21333655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qgle/pseuds/Qgle
Summary: "When darkness slithers and time spirals, the Demon Star shall return. When empires fall, kingdoms topple, and alliances break, then you will know—We have arrived."The cycle was never a circle. It was a spiral and it was winding down. Time was running out and they were at their limit. In a bid to end the cycle of death and rebirth, Sothis expends the last of her power to send Byleth back one last time, banking on the hope that her love for the Girl would be enough.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	1. Prologue

_I wanted... to walk with you_.

The Sword of the Creator swung down, and her target squeezed her eyes shut, expecting a blow.

It never came.

Tentatively, Edelgard opened her eyes to see her professor with the sword lowered and a sad smile on her face.

“My teacher?”

The Ashen Demon gave Edelgard a sad smile before plunging the sword into her own chest.

“_No!_”

Then it went dark.

* * *

Then she was falling. Headfirst. Her memories of the previous cycles started to return to her. How many times has she gone through these? She’s felt the Verdant Wind, looked up at the Azure Moon, walked through the Silver Snow…

And held the Crimson Flower.

She’s lost count of how many times she’s had to go through each of them. Except nothing was ever exactly the same, especially in the last few cycles, it seemed. She wondered what the Goddess would have to say about that.

She opened her eyes and saw someone falling with her. There was a shimmering glass-like material separating them but they were falling at the same speed. Curiously, she cocked her head to the right and he mirrored her movements. Her brow furrowed and so did his.

She felt herself slowing down. The hairs at the back of her neck rose and she reacted instinctively, twisting before landing on her feet. She was back in the dark void, illuminated only by a pale green light. A single throne was in front of her and on it, was a girl who, despite having a youthful appearance, had eyes that told the truth. In her emerald eyes swirled knowledge that transcended time and space.

_Sothis_.

“Oh what did you do this time?”

Byleth stood up slowly and looked at the Goddess.

Sothis, with her pointed ears and green hair, regarded her, leaning her head on her closed fist as her elbow rest atop the throne’s armrest.

Byleth winced, feeling the ghost pain from the blade she plunged into herself.

“You’ve been doing that in the last few cycles, changing the narratives, choosing the Girl of Hresvelg over and over again.”

Byleth shrugged.

“You believe you can save her?”

“She believes doing so is the way this can end,” came another voice.

Byleth’s eyes widened in surprise and she reached for her sword. Remembering that it’s no longer with her, she turned around and raised her fists instead. On the far end of the void was… another throne? On it sat a boy with olive green hair and eyes. His ears were pointed like Sothis’ and he was wearing a purple and grey robe. He sat lazily on the throne identical to Sothis’.

Sothis rolled her eyes. “Oh calm down, will you?” she said, addressing Byleth.

Byleth faced Sothis, head tilted and a confused expression on her face.

“Sah, you finally decided to make your presence known.”

The boy, Sah, scoffed. “I’m sorry that I find all of this quite unnecessary.”

Sothis frowned disapprovingly. "We arrived on this land together yet you stood by and let them slaughter each other."

Sah slammed his hands on the armrests and stood up, pointing an accusatory finger at Sothis.

"You _gave_ them your power! And the rest forcefully took it for themselves! They _slaughtered_ our children!" He was seething.

Sothis shook her head. "They only did so at _His_ behest. _He_ followed us here. We are the reason He found this place and it is our duty to stop Him."

Byleth nodded.

Sah sighed in response.

"You've tried. You've sent both of them in again and again. The results are the same. _He_ continues to corrupt."

Sothis stood up as well, a new sheen of determination on her face.

"_She_," she said, pointing at Byleth. "Thinks there's a way. And I'm sure he does too."

Sothis gestured towards Byleth's right side. Byleth slowly turned her head to look and found herself gazing through that glass-like material again. On the other side was the mysterious stranger.

"Their memories get wiped during reincarnations. I doubt sending one of them in again would do much difference."

Sah's voice was laced with so much doubt and scepticism. Sothis didn't waver.

"She's been changing things in the last few cycles. You've seen it as well, haven't you? Somehow, deep down, she knows what to do. And so does he."

Sah regarded the two "champions" as he called them before.

"So which of them will you send?" He asked, looking into Sothis' eyes.

Sothis held his gaze. "Both of them."

Sah laughed. "You don't have the power-"

"Not alone but with your help, it's possible!"

Sah's laughter died. He frowned and looked down. He crossed his arms and huffed.

"I know you don't think we can beat Him," Sothis continued. "But please."

"Their souls are tired. They wouldn't last any more cycles. It would kill them."

"So lend me your strength!" Sothis pleaded. "Heal them! We just need _one_ more chance to get this right."

Sah looked at Byleth. "Do you think this time will be any different?"

Byleth nodded sharply, determination on her face.

"And you?" He addressed the stranger. "Do you think the same?"

He nodded as well.

Sah sighed. "Very well."

He thrust a hand out and a white light started building on his hand. Sothis mirrored his actions.

"This had better work," Sah grumbled.

"It has to," Sothis replied.

“We’ll need to change things even further back.”

“I _know,_ Sah.”

Sah scoffed but looked straight at Byleth as the light started to grow.

“Find me,” he said. “Find me and I will lend both of you my power.”

The light burst forth, filling the entire room.

Byleth closed her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is only the first part of the Prologue. I have so much planned for this fic but I posted this just to gauge audience interest. A lot of it is actually inspired by Final Fantasy Type-0. FFT0's idea of "cycles of history" is a pretty good way to explain away all the replaying.
> 
> Now to explain some important things I introduced.  
Sah was known as the "Father of the gods" in Egyptian mythology and is the personification of the star "Orion". He is the Egyptian counterpart of the Babylonian "Loyal Shepherd of Heaven". His consort is Sopdet who is more commonly known by her Greek name: Sothis. I will be explaining him some more later on and how he fits into everything.
> 
> It's pretty easy to guess that the "mysterious stranger" is m!Byleth and yes, he will be appearing in the fic as well. The fic is Edeleth-centric and more pairings will appear as it goes on. The tags I have up so far are the basics and yes, I will be adding more as well!
> 
> I'm also on Twitter as @GoQgleIt! Drop by and lmk what you think! Also if you have any more questions, I have a Curious Cat under the same username.


	2. Back to the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We go back to the beginning. Three individuals show up at Remire Village pursued by bandits. They enlist the help of Jeralt and his daughter, The Ashen Demon: Byleth.

**Part I: Ashen Clouds**

**Great Tree Moon**

Back to the Beginning

* * *

"Hey. Time to wake up."

Byleth’s eyes shot open. Her back was aching and it felt like there was an insane amount of pressure on her chest. The air wasn’t very hot but she was sweating, nonetheless. Her father, Jeralt was standing over her, concern etched on his face.

“Meet me downstairs in five,” he said.

Byleth nodded, rubbing at her eyes. Jeralt walked out of her room and she sat up on her bed. Her head was pounding.

_ What a strange dream _, she thought.

She stood up and proceeded to freshen up then change into her gear.

===

Jeralt was waiting for her in the foyer of the house they were staying in. Byleth walked towards him. The pounding in her head was significantly reduced but she felt remnants of it throbbing at the back of her head.

“Were you having that dream again?” Jeralt asked.

Byleth frowned. “I was dreaming about a young girl.”

Jeralt put a hand on his head. “You’ve described her to me before. I don’t think I’ve met anyone like that.” Then he waved his hand. “In any case, just put that out of your mind for now. The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts.”

Jeralt went on a spiel about how mercenaries were supposed to act. Byleth couldn’t help but feel a spark of amusement as well as an unsettling feeling about how all of this was just… so familiar. Like all of this has happened before.

Byleth continued to nod along to whatever Jeralt was saying.

“Our next job is in the Kingdom.”

Byleth started lifting some of their equipment as Jeralt talked more about their upcoming mission, but before they could set out, their door flew open and a mercenary came rushing in.

“Jeralt! Sir! Sorry to barge in but your presence is needed!” Rafe, Byleth thought his name was, was red in the face and he sounded out of breath.

Jeralt and Byleth exchanged a look. They put down their things, and followed Rafe out the door.

They followed him to the center of Remire Village where three figures stood. Byleth felt something nag at her as soon as they came into view.

The first was a boy with a yellow cloak. His eyes were piercing green and his hair was artfully messy, curls slicked back, and a lone braid hanging down the side of his face. Despite the seemingly grim situation, he had an impish grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Next was a boy with light, almost platinum hair, falling over his eyes. His demeanor suited the urgency of the surroundings the most. He had a certain sincerity about him that overshadowed the darkness that swirled in his icy blue eyes, eyes that complemented his blue cloak. The last was a young woman who had a refined air about her. She had a red cloak similar to the cloaks of her companions. Her hair was unnaturally pale and it was held back by purple ribbons. The ribbons matched her lavender eyes which appeared to pierce through Byleth, evaluating her, and picking her apart.

Byleth stared back at the girl, making her own assessments. Byleth was sure it was the first time they’ve met but the girl seemed so familiar that the mercenary had half the mind to reach out to her. She felt a tightness in her chest and her head, once again, started to throb.

“Please forgive our intrusion. We would not bother you were the situation not dire,” the blonde boy said.

“What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?” Jeralt demanded, his irritation at being delayed for the next mission was barely concealed on his face.

The boy explained their situation in his overly formal language but Byleth’s attention was still on the girl.

“Bandits? Here?” Jeralt asked incredulously.

“It’s true,” the girl spoke up. Byleth’s ears perked up. “They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp.”

“We’ve been separated from our companions and we’ve been outnumbered. They’re after our lives… not to mention our gold,” the other boy said.

Jeralt continued to speak to them but stuttered to a stop. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the three up and down.

“Wait. That uniform…”

Before he could continue, Rafe appeared again.

“Bandits spotted just outside the village!”

Jeralt scowled and turned to the three. “I guess they followed you all the way here. We can’t abandon this village now.” He turned around and began shouting orders at the rest of the mercenaries, telling them to get in position.

Jeralt but a hand on Byleth’s shoulder. “I hope you’re ready.” He jerked his head towards the direction of the three.

Byleth gave him a curt nod. Satisfied, Jeralt walked away, organizing everyone.

Byleth turned to look at the newcomers. “Follow me. I’ll get you into position.”

The three looked at one another. The boy on the leftmost shrugged and said, “Might as well.”

They followed Byleth, readying their weapons.

_ An archer, a lancer, and an axe-wielder _.

Byleth made no comment but her thoughts started to race, figuring out what the best place to put each of them was. Their cloaks implied that the three had some sort of significance so keeping them alive was imperative.

The girl fell into step beside Byleth while the two boys trailed behind them.

“You were staring at me quite intensely earlier,” she commented.

“I was?” Byleth asked, her face remaining calm and impassive. The girl studied her face.

“You don’t know who I am, do you?”

Byleth shook her head.

A small smile found its way on Edelgard’s face. “I am Edelgard. The two dolts behind us are Claude and Dimitri.”

“Hey! We’re not dolts!” Claude protested.

Dimitri rolled his eyes at him. “Don’t lump me in with him,” he said, pointing his thumb at Claude.

“Aw, Dimitri! There’s no need to be rude,” Claude drawled, putting an arm around Dimitri’s shoulder.

Dimitri huffed and carefully extricated himself from Claude’s arm.

“All the two of you are doing is proving my point,” Edelgard said.

Dimitri and Claude continued to protest while Edelgard just laughed at them.

They eventually arrived at the front lines as Jeralt and the rest of his mercenaries were getting into position. Byleth directed the three to their positions and they nodded in understanding. They turned to leave for their respective positions but something nagged at Byleth. She reached out for Edelgard’s arm but she stopped a few centimetres short of touching her.

“Edelgard,” she said instead. The girl turned to look at her, puzzled. “When the fighting starts, stay close to me.”

There was an urgency in Byleth’s tone that she couldn’t explain. Edelgard opened her mouth as if to ask something but one of the other mercenaries ran out of the forest shouting “They’re here!”

He ducked as an arrow whizzed over his head.

Jeralt’s horse whinnied.

And everyone charged.

===

There was just something about the battlefield that was oddly comforting Byleth. She never hesitated and all her movements were calculated and precise. Her apparent lack of fear coupled with her speed and strength her made her known as “The Ashen Demon.” She was never afraid of loss on the battlefield which was what made her so effective.

Until today.

As requested, Edelgard stayed close to Byleth throughout the fight. On more than one occasion they found themselves protecting the other. The bandits were everywhere but Byleth did her best to make sure Edelgard was safe.

Two of the bandits charged at Byleth and she turned to face them. She ducked under the swing of the first one, slashing his stomach as she went. She parried upwards, meeting the swing of the second bandit mid-air and pushing his sword away, leaving his chest exposed. Byleth stabbed through his heart, pushing the bandit’s body forward until the exposed sword ripped through a third bandit, nearby.

Byleth pulled her sword free, the blood gushing out of the chest wound and wetting the ground at her feet.

In the commotion, she lost sight of Edelgard and Byleth felt her blood grow cold. She ran through the field, slashing and hacking at anyone who got in her way. Then she noticed an axe fly and embed itself in the chest of one of the bandits. Byleth did her best to retrace the source.

She found Edelgard at the edge of a clearing, weaponless. Byleth started to move towards her. She noticed that the body of the bandit leader was close to Edelgard. Jeralt had knocked him over with his horse earlier and he hadn’t moved since.

Just then the bandit leader’s eyes snapped open and he jumped up. Byleth’s eyes widened as he raced towards the unarmed Edelgard with his axe in the air. Edelgard drew a knife and held it in front of her, shifting into a protective stance, but Byleth still ran faster than she’s ever run before. As she reached Edelgard, she fought the urge to just shield the girl with her body.

Edelgard let out a surprised sound as Byleth raced towards her, stepping in front of the girl with her sword ready.

“You’ll die!” The leader yelled, swinging his axe downwards.

Byleth swung her sword upwards to meet the leader’s axe. The force of the blow sent both him and the axe flying backwards.

Byleth stood protectively in front of Edelgard. Her right arm was gripping her sword and pointing it forward. Her left arm was stretched backwards, protectively near Edelgard’s side but not quite touching. Byleth could feel the tension leave Edelgard’s body. She lowered her arms and huffed, glaring at the bandits.

“Hey! Over here!” a voice called out behind them. Byleth chanced a glance and saw Claude and Dimitri sauntering up to them.

The leader of the bandits scowled at them.

Jeralt galloped towards them, hopping off his horse when he got close.

“Is everyone alright?” he asked.

Byleth nodded. The three lords looked at one another before responding likewise.

Suddenly there was a thundering of hooves and a cavalry of soldiers in white and red armour burst through the forest. They seemed to be led by a man a bit shorter than Jeralt but with a similar build.

“The Knights of Seiros are here!” The knight announced. “We’ll cut you down for terrorizing our students.”

The man who tried to attack Edelgard scowled at them before turning tail and running into the forest, his men hot on his heels.

“Hey! They’re getting away!” The knight pointed at his men. “Go after them!”

The knight galloped towards Byleth’s group and dropped off his horse. “The students appear unharmed,” he said. He looked at Jeralt and a grin broke on his face. “And… who’s this?”

Jeralt groaned. “Ugh… Why him?”

===

The knight, as it turns out, was an old friend of Jeralt’s named Alois Rangeld. He called Jeralt “captain”, a title the man in question turned down. Jeralt tried to turn Alois away, dismissively saying that he still had work to do. Byleth shifted awkwardly behind him. She turned her head to the side and watched as Edelgard was being questioned and looked at by some of the knights. The same was being done to Claude and Dimitri. Byleth couldn’t help but feel the urge to go to the three and assess them herself.

Byleth heard Jeralt trying to say good-bye to Alois to which the latter replied “I insist that you return to the monastery with me!”

Now Byleth’s attention shifted from the students to Alois and Jeralt’s conversation.

“The monastery?” she asked.

“Garreg Mach Monastery…” Jeralt drawled. “I suppose this was inevitable.”

Byleth gave her dad a questioning look but before Jeralt could explain further, Alois addressed her.

“And how about you, kid? Are you the captain’s child?” he asked.

“He is a stranger to me,” Byleth deadpanned.

Alois laughed. “Ah that sense of humour! _ Clearly _ cut from the same cloth as the captain!”

Just then, another knight came galloping out of the forest.

“Father, I rounded up some of the thieves but the rest got away,” he addressed Alois as he approached, sliding off his horse.

“Don’t worry about it, son. We’ll get them next time!” Alois said. “They couldn’t have gotten that far.”

Byleth took a step back in surprise. The man stopped in his tracks upon seeing her.

“You…” Byleth breathed out. Her voice was soft, barely audible.

Alois and Jeralt didn’t catch what they said but Jeralt looked back and forth between the two.

The knight shared Byleth’s dark teal blue hair and her soft blue eyes. He was less armoured compared to most knights, most notable of which were the light spaulders instead of the full pauldrons. He also appeared to forego gauntlets, and instead, favoured steel bracers and grey gloves. Instead of greaves, he simply had poleyns and steel shin-guards over knee high grey boots.

“Well, um, apparent similarities aside,” Alois started. He stood next to the knight and clapped his shoulder. “This is my son, Balan.”

Byleth and Balan regarded one other, and Jeralt shifted uncomfortably but Alois didn’t seem to notice.

“We would love it for you to see the monastery, too!” Alois said. “Won’t we, Balan?”

Balan’s brow furrowed “Who are these people?”

Jeralt put a hand on his forehead, as if anticipating a migraine.

“We... will tell you more when we’re on the way to the monastery! Are you coming, kid?” Alois directed the question at Byleth again, an expectant grin on his face.

Byleth shrugged. “Okay.”

Jeralt groaned.

“What’s troubling you, Captain?” Alois asked him. “You aren’t about to run off again, are you?”

Jeralt huffed. “Even I wouldn’t dare run from the Knights of Seiros.”

Alois dropped his hand from Balan’s shoulder and Jeralt fell into step beside him as he walked away.

Byleth was left alone with Balan and the two of them regarded one another. Normally, Byleth welcomed silence but this time it unnerved her. It was as if she was expecting someone to start talking in her head.

Movement to Byleth’s left caught her attention and she turned to see the three students moving closer to each other.

“You’ve met them?” Balan asked.

Byleth nodded. “Yes. We helped them fight off the bandits.”

Balan hummed in acknowledgment. “Thank you for that. I’ve become quite fond of them and I would absolutely hate it were anything to happen to them.”

“You know those students?”

“It would be strange if I didn’t. I _ am _ assigned to one of their classes.”

The three students noticed them and Claude waved them over.

“Shall we?” Balan asked, gesturing towards the three.

Something about all of this was so familiar yet different, somehow. Looking at Balan, Byleth felt like she was supposed to know him. He was just so awfully familiar. Byleth’s head hurt trying to figure it all out.

* * *

The two gods sat in their throne room and watched the new events unfold.

“I’m surprised you’re not guiding them this time,” Sah commented.

Sothis let out a weary breath. “Despite your help, all the changes we made put a considerable strain on me.”

Sah huffed. “That makes the two of us.” They fell silent for a moment before Sah spoke again. “Do you think they can manage? Without your shield and voice?”

Sothis pursed her lips and leaned further back into her throne. “Perhaps it was my meddling that caused all this in the first place.”

“That’s not–” Sah started to protest but Sothis shushed him.

“Perhaps it is time to let them forge this path on their own.”

Sah stayed silent for a while. “You really trust them.”

Sothis nodded. “They’ve been down these roads countless of times. The cycle had to come to an end, eventually.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm writing under the assumption that you've played the game so I don't want to dwell too much on the in-game dialogue. More often than not, I will most likely breeze through them like I did here. And yes, I removed the "Divine Pulse" from the story. The whole point of the story is that this is the last chance and that there are no more do-overs so everything has to be perfect in the part of Byleth and even Balan as well. So think of this as one big giant Divine Pulse and they're already out of charges.
> 
> On the topic of things I'm removing, I also removed Sothis' voice/presence in the story but fear not, you're still going to get bits of Sothis because I'm planning to have every chapter end with Sothis and Sah watching the events. It's like Netflix with more stakes.
> 
> Now to explain where I got the name "Balan". The name "Byleth" is a variation of the name "Beleth" who is a king of hell. With this knowledge I went and took a peek at the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (by that, I mean I just looked at the Wikipedia page) and looked at the names of other kings of hell. Among all of them I thought "Balam" was the one that fit the most because he gave perfects answers to things "past, present, and to come" and I thought that fit neatly with the whole time theme. So I went and took the name derivative I liked the most: Balan.
> 
> And yes! He's Alois' adopted son in this timeline. It'll be explained later on, I swear. I have an outline and everything huhu. I was initially supposed to place this chapter as a part of the Prologue (as it was in the game) but I realized that the prologue became too long and that this fit better as a chapter of its own. In general, I'm considering splitting each game chapter into two because from the chapters I've already written, they were far too long when I had it as 1 chapter = 1 game chapter.
> 
> I'm aware this is going to be a very long and kind of ambitious writing project but I sincerely hope you guys stick around! I'll do my best to stick to a schedule but my major is very demanding so I could miss a week or two.
> 
> I'm also on Twitter @GoQgleIt! Drop by and lmk what you think! Also if you have any more questions, I have a Curious Cat under the same username.


	3. An Audience With The Church

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth and Jeralt arrive at Garreg Mach Monastery and are given an audience with the Archibishop of the Church of Seiros: Rhea. Following the deaths of two of the professors of the Officers' Academy, there are positions that need to be filled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta reader so there could be a few typos here and there. Also, this is a p dialogue heavy chapter

**Part I: Ashen Clouds**

**Great Tree Moon**

An Audience With The Church

* * *

They departed from Remire Village as soon as everyone was settled. Balan walked ahead alongside Alois and Jeralt, leaving Byleth with the three students.

The two older men appeared to have a lot to talk about. Alois said that he adopted Balan shortly after Jeralt left the monastery. The Archbishop of the monastery had found Balan as a baby and entrusted him to Alois to teach him the ways of the Church of Seiros, which seemed to be the dominant religion.

Jeralt always kept them on the move and he never really taught Byleth about any of these things so all the information was quite overwhelming.

The pounding in Byleth’s head had stopped and the strange nagging feeling had all but disappeared. That was a relief but at the same time, it unsettled Byleth.

A deep voice cut through Byleth’s musings.

“This will be your first time at the monastery,” Dimtri said. “I’d be happy to show you around.”

Byleth turned to look in his and Claude’s direction.

Claude tilted his head up. “It really is Fódlan in a nutshell,” he added. “The good and the bad.”

“Like it or not, we’ll be there soon enough,” Edelgard spoke up, raising her chin.

Byleth couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto her face as she looked at her. She was certainly an interesting character and Byleth was intrigued. She mostly wanted to know why she felt such a strong urge to protect her earlier that day.

Byleth looked ahead, squinting as the sunlight hit her eyes.

“There it is,” Edelgard said. “Garreg Mach Monastery.”

===

Edelgard, Claude, and Dimitri were immediately ushered away as soon as they entered. Balan watched as Manuela fussed over the three. Hanneman followed them closely behind.

Balan noticed Byleth staring at them with a confused expression. They were at the entrance hall as the Knights of Seiros moved around them. Jeralt and Alois were standing to the side and it seemed like Alois was pitching something to Jeralt which the older man didn’t seem happy about it.

Hanneman stayed behind for a bit to thank him for bringing the three students back to safety before hurrying after Manuela and the rest of the entourage.

“That was Hanneman,” Balan said as he moved closer to Byleth. “He and Manuela are also professors at the monastery.”

“What do they teach?” Byleth asked.

“Manuela teaches White Magic and she runs the infirmary as well. Hanneman, on the other hand, teaches Black Magic and he is the monastery’s foremost Crest scholar.”

Balan grimaced.

“What’s wrong?”

Balan shook his head. “Ah, it’s nothing. It’s just that Hanneman gets _ very _ into his research sometimes. He’s been trying to study my crest for the longest time but he can’t seem to pinpoint what it is,” Balan said.

Balan went on to explain crests to the Byleth who got more and more confused as time went on.

“Balan!” Alois called out and Balan’s attention snapped to his father. “Get Byleth and Jeralt settled in then accompany them to the Archbishop. I’ll go ahead and give my report of the incident.”

Balan nodded. “Yes, father.”

Alois turned back to Jeralt and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll see you later, old friend.” Then he hurried up the steps of the entrance hall, taking him further into the monastery. That left Balan alone with the two Eisners.

===

Byleth had no words to describe how lush and expansive the grounds of Garreg Mach were. Growing up with a mercenary father meant that she was constantly on the move. They rarely got to see places like this, much less stay for an extended period of time.

Plenty of students milled about, some stopping and whispering when they noticed her and her father. She caught bits of their conversation.

_ Is that Jeralt the Blade Breaker? _

_ It’s Blade Breaker! _

_ Captain Jeralt! _

_ Who’s that girl? _

_ That can’t be the Ashen Demon, can it? _

_ She looks so young! _

Byleth looked down at her shoes. Ahead of her, Jeralt was all but interrogating Balan about his life and the goings-on at the monastery.

As it turns out, Balan wasn’t _ officially _a Knight of Seiros but he often lent his tactical skill to the battlefield should the need arise. Most of the time, he was the professor one of the monastery’s three houses.

They eventually reached the guest quarters and Balan told them to drop their things, freshen up, and to join him outside once they were finished.

Byleth looked around the room. It was more spacious than any of the rooms she was used to but she didn’t really have that many things. She frowned, dumped her weapons at the foot of the bed, and the sack of her clothes on top of the bed then marched right out the door. They were unlikely to stay here long, anyway.

===

It seems like they were going to stay for a while.

Balan led them to the Archbishop, a woman named Rhea who appeared to have a long history with Jeralt. On the way, Balan and Jeralt did their best to give Byleth a rundown of the Church of Seiros. Balan was surprised to find out that Jeralt kept her mostly detached from the goings-on in Fódlan.

Jeralt merely shrugged, saying, “I had my reasons.”

Balan didn’t press.

Now, Jeralt and Byleth stood in the middle of the audience chamber. There was a throne at the top of a short flight of stairs. Jeralt and Byleth were at the base of the steps, patiently waiting for the Archbishop and Alois.

Balan was off to the side, hands dutifully behind his back. A door opened to their right and in walked a man and a woman followed by Alois who walked over to Balan and stood in position right next to him.

The woman who walked in sat on the throne and the man took his place next to it. The pair both had green hair but the man’s was a shade darker than the woman’s.

“Thank you for your patience, Jeralt,” the man spoke up. “My name is Seteth, the adviser to the Archbishop.”

“Right, right,” Jeralt mumbled.

_ The Archbishop. _ Byleth thought. _ So that must be Rhea _.

The woman, Rhea, smiled down at the two mercenaries.

“It has been a long time, Jeralt,” she said. “I wonder… was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance meeting like this?”

Her voice was soft and sincere yet there was a certain edge to it that told Byleth that crossing this woman would have dire consequences.

Jeralt bowed low and Byleth was a little surprised to see her father acting so reverently.

“Forgive my silence all these years,” Jeralt said. “Much has happened since we last spoke.”

Rhea nodded and turned her attention to Byleth. “So, I see. The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you. That is your child, is it not?”

Jeralt proceeded to explain that she was born years after he left the monastery. Byleth’s brow furrowed at that information because… how long _ has _ it been since Jeralt left this place?

Jeralt’s conversation with Rhea made Byleth realize that there were still many things she didn’t know about her father. Perhaps, a few questions were in order…

“What is your name?”

Byleth blinked, momentarily getting yanked out of her thoughts.

Rhea had addressed her. Seteth was looking down at her expectantly. She gulped. There was something unnerving about their gaze.

“My name is,” she started. Her voice came out a bit scratchy and hoarse so she cleared her throat before speaking again. “My name is Byleth.”

“A fine name,” Rhea replied. “From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving those students at the Officers Academy.”

Jeralt closed his eyes and tried to stifle an exasperated huff, but Rhea caught this.

“Ah, Jeralt. You already know what it is I wish to say, do you not?”

“You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros, don’t you?” Jeralt said.

Rhea nodded.

“I won’t say no but–”

“I understand your apprehension, Jeralt. I assume Alois has already briefed you on our, ah, situation?” Rhea asked.

“He was quite persistent.”

Rhea laughed. “That does sound like him.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “I am afraid that I will have to leave you for now. Seteth will explain the rest to you. Until tomorrow…”

With that, Rhea rose from her seat. Seteth, Jeralt, Balan, and Alois all bowed and Byleth hurried to do the same. As soon as she was gone, everyone stood up straight and Seteth walked down the steps to stand in front of Jeralt and Byleth.

“After your encounter with the bandits, we discovered the bodies of two of our professors,” Seteth said. He gestured at Alois who stepped forward. Alois stepped forward.

“Professor Lowthorn was slain in his sleep. Professor Vogol on the other hand appeared to have fallen in battle,” Alois reported.

Seteth nodded and Alois stepped back.

“They were the instructors of the Black Eagles and Blue Lions, respectively,” Seteth said. “I assume you’ve been informed of the classes I am referring to?”

Byleth nodded. Balan had given him the run-down of the three classes while they were waiting for Jeralt, earlier.

“Good. Balan, over here, is the professor of the Golden Deer,” Seteth continued.

This time, it was Balan’s turn to step forward.

“Given the situation, we are currently short two professors,” Balan said. “Alois went and recommended you to Rhea and she agreed.”

_ Wait what?! _

“Hang on–” Jeralt started but Alois cut him off.

“Captain, we assumed the reason you were apprehensive about rejoining the Knights was that your kid wouldn’t have anything to do,” Alois said. “But we saw her prowess on the battlefield _ and _ I’m sure she was taught by none other than the _ Blade Breaker _!”

Jeralt put a hand to his forehead.

“So… You all expect me to work here?” Byleth asked, tentatively.

Seteth and Alois looked at one another. “Yes, that… would be ideal,” Seteth said.

“Only if you want to, of course!” Alois blurted out.

“If you’re concerned about your duties, I’ll be here to guide you,” Balan offered with a shrug.

Byleth’s eyes narrowed and she put a hand up to her chin. She had so many questions and it seemed like none of them would be answered soon. The timing of everything was just so convenient. Her guts told her that perhaps, there was more to their encounter than meets the eye.

Then there was Edelgard. The girl… _ intrigued _ her. Byleth didn’t know how she knew but she was sure that getting close to her would be a step in the right direction.

“You summoned me?” A deep and slow voice said. Byleth turned around as a tall man with pale hair walked into the audience chamber. He had a white mask covering the top half of his face and he strode into the room purposefully.

“Ah, yes! Professor Jeritza,” Seteth said. Jeritza walked over to them and stood off to the side near Jeralt. Seteth gestured to the man. “This is Jeritza von Hrym. He is currently the fencing instructor at the Office Academy but Rhea has selected him to be the professor of one of the remaining classes.”

Jeritza nodded.

“Now, Byeth is here upon the recommendation of Alois and would possibly be teaching the other class as well… _ If _ she accepts our offer.”

Byleth already knew her answer. “I do.”

Seteth grinned. “Excellent! Now, since you were roped into this, we will give you the opportunity to select the class you’re going to handle! Jeritza will take the other one.”

Jeritza’s expression was unreadable behind his mask but he didn’t seem very happy with that statement.

If Byleth remembered Balan’s information correctly, Edelgard was the house leader of the Black Eagles and the heir to the Adrestian Empire. Byleth kept her close on the battlefield and perhaps… she should do the same here.

“The Black Eagles. I’ll take the Black Eagles,” she said.

“Alright, then Jeritza, you will now be handling the Blue Lions,” Seteth said.

Jeritza hesitated for a moment before replying. “Understood. May I be excused?”

“So soon?” Seteth sounded a little surprised. “Well, I suppose I don’t need to keep you here any longer. You may go.”

Jeritza bowed slightly before turning on his heel and walking out of the audience chamber.

“I suppose I should also bid you farewell. Alois, I trust that you will show Captain Jeralt his duties?”

Alois grinned. “Absolutely! You can count on me, Seteth!”

Seteth nodded. “Professor Balan, kindly brief Professor Byleth on this month’s activities and show her around the monastery.”

Balan lowered his head in acknowledgment.

“I must be off. I will be seeing you around,” Seteth said and he stalked out of the audience chamber.

“Oh, Captain! It is _ great _ to have you back! The rest of the Knights will be elated!” Alois was practically buzzing with excitement.

Jeralt had a small smile on his face. He turned to Byleth. “You gonna be okay on your own, kid?”

“I will, father,” Byleth answered.

“Oh, Balan’s got her! There’s no need to worry, Captain!” Alois exclaimed, waving his hand dismissively. “Now, let’s go!”

Alois practically dragged Jeralt out of the audience chamber, leaving Byleth and Balan to their own devices.

“Interesting choice, the Black Eagles,” Balan commented. “Jeritza was probably not happy about that.”

Byleth raised an eyebrow. “How come?”

“He became an instructor here at the suggestion of Volkhard von Arundel, Edelgard’s uncle. I suppose he would have been more comfortable with the Black Eagles.”

Byleth hummed. “The house just seemed like the best choice for me.”

Balan chuckled before ushering her out of the audience chamber.

===

As Byleth lay in bed that night, going over the day’s events in her head. Edelgard had certainly seemed surprised when she found out she would be teaching the Black Eagles.

“I hoped you would lend your strength to the Empire but no matter. I will use this opportunity to learn as much as I can from you,” she had said.

Tomorrow would be the first day she’d spend with the class. Balan said that there would be a mock battle among the three houses at the end of the month. Byleth knew that as far as battles go, they weren’t just about the brute strength of the combatants. They were also a test of the tacticians’ brilliance.

Byleth frowned.

She had less than a month to get to know the students but getting to know Balan and Jeritza was imperative as well.

Byleth closed her eyes.

She had her work cut out so getting some rest was in order.

* * *

“I told you she’d choose her again,” Sothis said, smug smirk creeping onto her face.

Sah huffed. “Yes, yes, you did now can we move on?” He sounded very annoyed. “This Jeritza, he wasn’t _ this _involved before.”

Sothis nodded. “Indeed he wasn’t. And it is quite interesting that he ended up in the house of his sister.”

Sah hummed in agreement. “Now the question is: does this change help us?”

Sothis said nothing.

“We’re playing a dangerous game, Sothis,” Sah said. “We’ve changed too many variables.”

“Well, what did you expect me to do Sah? How many more spirals can we maintain? Our powers are waning and He is growing stronger! You weep over our children? Yet, you weren’t there, Sah. You left us. You left _ me _.”

Sah looked down on his lap. His hands clenched the armrests of his throne.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Sothis sighed. “Let’s just keep going.”

* * *

“I told you to only take out one of them.”

“The other one got in the way.”

“Yes, that was unfortunate. But you weren’t supposed to kill Lowthorn, either. You were only supposed to scare him off.”

“He fought back.”

A sigh.

“I suppose we _ could _ use this to our advantage. The newcomer seems strong. She could be a valuable ally.”

“And if she isn’t?”

“I will deal with it. But for now, don’t hurt a hair on her head.”

“Hmph. How tedious.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I made a few changes.
> 
> To start, Byleth picking a house is supposed to happen the day after they arrived but I had it so it happens the day of their arrival just so I can get this out of the way.
> 
> Lowthorn and Vogol are completely new characters. I wasn't about to kill off Manuela and Hanneman haha but I needed to get rid of two other teachers so Byleth and Jeritza can become the new instructors. Speaking of which, Jeritza is now the professor of the Blue Lions. As Sah pointed out, this is a significant departure which I SWEAR has a purpose. I made Jeritza the third professor bc it was implied that Jeritza was supposed to be the replacement professor until Byleth came along.
> 
> Yes, Balan is the professor of the Golden Deer. I will also be shifting to Balan's perspective once in a while especially in the chapters that are Golden Deer missions.
> 
> Also, don't worry. Alois' wife is safe. She'll most likely get brought up later on, depending on how the story goes. But I do have plans to mention her.
> 
> I know I set-up a lot of plot threads! It's going to take a while but I will get to them! Thanks for reading this hellion of a fic lol. And once again, you can find me on twitter as @GoQgleIt and an curious cat under the same name~


End file.
